In celebration of our annual beer issue, I’ve only really been listening to Mean Jeans’ still-perfect party record On Mars. Having said that, there was still some amazing new content to hit the world wide web this week. Here’s a little taste of what’s new.

JEFF the Brotherhood “Sixpack”
In theory, I should hate this. In addition to having a truly embarrassing name, JEFF the Brotherhood enlisted the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach to produce their upcoming Hypnotic Knights EP, and you should all know how I feel about the Black Keys by now. As a producer, though, Auerbach brings out the best in this fuzzy two-piece, further exemplifying just how great they are at Weezer-meets-Ramones summer anthems.

Nü Sensae “Swim”
Speaking of two-pieces… well … Read More

Following last Friday’s Black Keys’ show, a concert that blew away my rather low expectations — I really only wanted to hear the song that goes “la-la-la la/la-la-la la” and the one with the “oh whoa uh-oh” chorus — my first thought was “I’m going to stick it to Josiah Hughes and his rather low estimation of this band.

Re-reading his comments in this week’s “Goings On” column, I’m not as sure I have as strong a leg to stand on as I did Friday night.

Hughes is right: The Black Keys have been mining the same aesthetic territory for their whole career. Sure, they occasionally flush things out with expanded instrumentation — keyboards, strings, the odd tambourine — but at its core it’s a very tried and true variation of the same old blues rock shuffle that’s … Read More

Photo by Chelsey Parker

When I first heard that B.B. King was coming to Calgary, I was excited for two reasons: 1. He’s an absolute legend and is arguably the most famous bluesman in the history of music and 2. I thought he was already dead. I wondered if this was perhaps a Tupac-esce hologram type thing (I got the low-def blues?), but nope, at 86 years old B.B. is still alive (and kickin’).

We showed up a little late so there were no seats with a good eye line to the center of the stage but we managed to weasel a standing spot in front of sound deck against the rail. The great thing about the venue was that, even at the back of the room, you’re still close to the stage. The show started with a two-song intro from the B.B. King Band, which consisted of keys, drums … Read More

Illustration by Tom Bagley

I hope you like doom-laden crust, wildly popular experimental indie, outsider electronica and mainstream rap, because that's what I've served up for you in this edition of Weekly Leaks.

Tragedy “Close at Hand”
Without much warning, legendary d-beat monsters Tragedy have returned with a brand new album called Darker Days Ahead. Cookie Monster vocals, gigantic buzzing guitars and bleak-as-fuck imagery are all present, as evidenced on the track “Close at Hand.” Have a listen, and make sure you stick around for the crushing slow parts at the end.


Animal Collective “Honeycomb” / “Gotham”
The biggest experimental indie band in the world has returned: last week Animal Collective dropped a surprise batch of … Read More

As we walked through Stampede Park in the chilly May snows (goddamn you, Calgary) following last night’s Van Halen show, and in between moaning about the weather and how my feet hurt and wondering if my new (large) Van Halen Tour 2012 T-shirt would fit better than all the other ones in my closet (mediums — which have suddenly taken to revealing more belly and man-boob than is socially acceptable), I had the temerity to remark to my companion that David Lee Roth sure isn’t the scissor-kicking, high-flying front man of days gone by.
After all, that Vaudevillian soft-shoe shuffle he broke into for most of the show brought to mind an eccentric auntie after one too many sherries more than anything else.
The irony of following my own … Read More

Illustration by Tom Bagley

This column was written before news surfaced of the tragic passing of Beastie Boys member Adam "MCA" Yauch. If you'd rather just listen to the Beastie Boys all day, no one could argue with that. I spent most of my week listening to the various projects of Fast Forward Weekly cover star Jean Sebastien Audet, which you can check out here (start with Zouk Fuck, then Darren Wantz, then the rest). But there were some other things worth a spin or two as well.

Kuhrye-oo “Give In (For the Fame)”
I think Kuhrye-oo might be my favourite of the Edmonton/Montreal projects to emerge from Gobble Gobble (now Born Gold). On “Give In (For the Fame),” Calvin McElroy offers up some cut to shreds R & B alongside crazy warm atmospherics and some … Read More

After teasing us with leaks over the past few months, Sled Island have revealed the full line-up for their 2012 edition. Added headliners include the likes of Hot Snakes and The Spits. The festival also includes appearances from some of the best smaller acts working in Canada today.

Here's the full lineup so you can start stressing about seeing everything now:

Illustration by Tom Bagley

Another week means another batch of songs that I really enjoyed in the past week. Have a listen and let me know what you think in the comments. Please. I NEED YOUR APPROVAL.

Ty Segall Band “Wave Goodbye”
It’s safe to say that big-haired garage pop guru Ty Segall is at the height of his career, with new releases coming out all over the place. Dude has a full backing band now, too, who will release their debut album Slaughterhouse on June 26 via In the Red. If “Wave Goodbye” is any indication, this going to be a seriously heady psych fuzz attack.



d’Eon Music for Keyboards Vol. II
If you’ve ever spent more than 15 minutes with me, you know that beneath all the posturing I’m really just a guy who loves Blink 182. That’s why I’m … Read More

Mark your calendars for July, because the Calgary Folk Festival has announced their full lineup! Running from July 26 to 29, organizers have unveiled their full lineup.

Yes, Sinead O’Connor has canceled for unknown reasons (although recent Twitter outbursts have definitely hinted at mounting instability.)

Still, a lack of Sinead shouldn't stop you from enjoying a packed-to-the-brim lineup that includes 100 Mile House, Sam Baker, Del Barber, Barr Brothers, Shelley Bean, The Beauties, Beirut, Mark Berube, Besh o DroM, Bettysoo and Doug Cox, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Blitz the Ambassador, Renato Borghetti, Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires, The Breakmen, Junior Brown, Marco Calliari, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Chatham County … Read More

Illustration by Tom Bagley

In celebration of international jazz cigarette day, here is a collection of my favourite Sublime songs. Just kidding, I don't have any favourite Sublime songs. Because they're ALL my favourite! Just kidding again... Sublime is the worst band.

What I'm getting at is that the Weekly Leaks hiatus is over. Here's some new music that's worth checking out.

Death Grips The Money Store / "I've Seen Footage" video
For me, one of my most anticipated releases of the spring has been the debut full-length from ballsy, experimental rap trio Death Grips. The Sacramento group, which includes Hella drummer Zach Hill, will drop The Money Store on April 24 via Epic, but you can stream the whole thing below. As a bonus, check out the video … Read More